Prompting Me to Change My “Frame of Mind” (Days 17-23)

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Frame of Mind.”

Have you ever imagined what your day, mood, or even life would look like on canvas? I have. Many times. When I saw this prompt, I was very excited because this confirmed that there is at least one person out there who has thought of this also.

I love art in all it’s forms- not just dance and writing, but also painting and drawing.  Of course, I wish I could do it all, but time only allows me to follow a couple passions- and for the next year,  I have chosen writing as my non-dance art expression/hobby.  That’s why I’m so excited for this post… I get to combine painting with blogging! (Thank you, Blogging 101, for giving me the idea to use a prompt from the reader!)

When I used to paint more often, I found myself using music and dance as inspiration.  I truly feel that art can be extremely interrelated; music makes me want to dance, dancing makes me want to write, writing makes me want to paint, so on and so forth… it’s a beautiful, capturing, never-ending cycle.  The scariest feeling for me would be to not feel inspired at all, which has only happened to me a few times in my life.  Today, I am inspired to share with you some paintings that I feel connected to with what I am going through in my life at this moment.

This past weekend, my fiancé and I danced a James Bond inspired Tango Routine. Parts of our routine made me think of this picture “Last Tango in Paris” by R. Young  (below) and the passion and strength behind it.  It feels combative, yet still romantic.  Here’s a picture of us from Saturday night as we were getting ready to go on- I think you will see the similarities and understand how I could imagine us in the painting:

Another photo I have always imagined myself in is “The Singing Butler” by Jack Vettriano.  This one depicts a couple getting caught in a dance moment on the beach, as their poor maid and butler try to shield themselves from the terrible weather.  I’ve always loved this because it shows how little the beautifully dressed couple cares about anything other than this moment together. They appear unaffected by the circumstances, while the maid and butler look cold and distraught. Even before I met Michael, my amazing dance partner and fiancé, I longed for a moment like this.  Being all dolled up and then swept away by a handsome man on the beach, without a care in the world, was a daydream for me.  Now that dream is a reality, and I am grateful every day to be able to share moments like this… ok, maybe not with the maid and butler… but who needs them anyway? *wink* :

The next painting I will share with you is by the famous painter Edgar Degas, titled “Little Dancer”.  Growing up, I had a print-out of this picture taped on my dresser mirror.  I wasn’t necessarily a “prima ballerina”, but I always felt a connection to the freedom and lightness of the dancer.  She looks completely lost in what she is doing; her form is not perfect and she doesn’t have a big smile on her face, which is partly why I love this so much.  Dance is not always perfect, sometimes it’s those in-between moments that make it so worthwhile because those are the moments you are truly yourself as a dancer. If that makes any sense at all- using words to explain emotion is not as easy as it sounds! Have a look for yourself and be moved:

The final photo I will share with you is one I did myself.  In a college painting class, I created a painting titled “Battle at Sea at Sunrise”.  My professor enjoyed it, but told me, “Amanda, you have great potential with this, but I feel you could have to put a little more of yourself in it- why don’t you keep working on it.”  At this time, I was also becoming more accustomed to Photoshop and thought I would use his words as inspiration… this is what I came up with:

My professor had a good laugh and appreciated my efforts- I definitely passed that assignment.

It’s amazing where and how you can find inspiration for your art… you just need to be open to changing your Frame of Mind.

Rhythmically yours,

amandaidance      o-)-<